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LOT 2123
Post Byzantine Adoration of the Magi Shell Plaque
17TH-18TH CENTURY A.D.
2 5/8 in. (30.2 grams, 68 mm).
Octagonal in plan with carved scene of the Adoration of the Magi with star above; stepped border, pierced for attachment.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Cf. for similar plaques the ones adorning the covers of the Gospels in Popescu, G.A., Cristiani d'Oriente, spiritualità, arte e potere nell'Europa Post-Bizantina, Milano, 1999, fig.3.
FootnotesThe flat relief and the stylistic refinement of the images place the execution of the plaque towards the end of the 17th century, with some artistic parallels with the Romanian silversmiths of Chiprovatzi.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 2123
Post Byzantine Adoration of the Magi Shell Plaque
Estimate £150 - 200€170 - 230 (for guidance only)$200 - 270 (for guidance only)
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